Apparatus for purifying carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Provided is a continuous method and apparatus of purifying carbon nanotubes. The continuous method and apparatus of purifying carbon nanotubes is characterized in a first purifying step for injecting a carbon nanotube liquid mixture containing an oxidizer into a purifying reactor under a sub-critical water or supercritical water condition at a pressure of 50 to 400 atm and a temperature of 100 to 600° C. to obtain a purified product, thereby removing amorphous carbon and producing the carbon nanotube product.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A continuous apparatus of purifying carbon nanotubes, comprising:
 a mixing unit for forming a carbon nanotube solution by allowing the carbon nanotubes to be mixed with a solvent containing water by a circulation pump; 
 a pre-heater for heating a carbon nanotube liquid mixture formed by allowing the pre-heated carbon nanotube solution to be in contact with an oxidizer and mixed with the oxidizer at a temperature of 100 to 370° C. while the carbon nanotube solution is fed at a pressure of 50 to 400 atm, the oxidizer injected by an oxidizer high-pressure infusion pump at a pressure of 50 to 400 atm; 
 a first purifying-reactor in which the liquid mixture is injected under a sub-critical water or supercritical water condition at a pressure of 50 to 400 atm and a temperature of 100 to 600° C. so as to obtain a first purified product; 
 a cooling apparatus that cools the purified product to a temperature of 0 to 100° C.; 
 a de-pressurizing unit for de-pressurizing the cooled product up to 1 to 10 atm; 
 a product storage vessel for recovering the product de-pressurized by the de-pressurizing unit; and 
 a filtering tub which has high-pressure filters with a void of 0.001 to 10 μm connected in parallel in order to filter the product purified via the first and the second purifying-reactors. 
 
     
     
       2. The continuous apparatus of purifying carbon nanotubes of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second purifying reactor for purifying inorganic matters by causing the first purified product to be reacted with an acid solution. 
 
     
     
       3. The continuous apparatus of purifying carbon nanotubes of  claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanger located at a front end of the pre-heater, wherein the heat exchanger is to exchange heat between the carbon nanotube liquid mixture prior to pre-heating and the purified product. 
     
     
       4. The continuous apparatus of purifying carbon nanotubes of  claim 1 , wherein a de-pressurizing apparatus in the de-pressurizing unit comprises a capillary de-pressurizing apparatus.